# Evaluation of Nisin and Cultured Dextrose as Clean Label Preservatives in Braised Chicken Breast: Antibacterial Activity and Quality Preservation

## TL;DR

This study evaluates nisin and cultured dextrose as natural preservatives for chicken breast, showing they extend shelf life and maintain quality.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is identifying an optimal nisin-cultured dextrose combination for microbial safety in meat products.

## Key findings

- The nisin-CD combination significantly suppressed bacterial growth in braised chicken breast.
- The combination stabilized pH and minimized color variation during storage.
- Sensory quality was maintained over 28 days at refrigeration temperatures.

## Abstract

Meat products face microbial safety challenges, while growing consumer demand for “clean label” options discourages the use of synthetic preservatives. Although Nisin and cultured dextrose (CD) are known natural antimicrobials, their combined application in meat systems has not been fully assessed. Herein, we systematically evaluated the antibacterial activity of CD in combination with Nisin against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) using a uniform design. While regression modeling of the in vitro data indicated a potent synergistic interaction at lower concentrations, the optimal practical combination for meat preservation was identified as 0.02% Nisin and 0.5% CD. This combination was applied to braised chicken breast stored at 0–4 °C, with microbial counts, pH, color, and sensory quality monitored over 28 days. The results indicated that this Nisin-CD combination significantly suppressed the growth of total viable bacteria, S. aureus, and E. coli, stabilized pH, minimized color variation, and maintained sensory acceptability. Therefore, the 0.02% Nisin and 0.5% CD combination is recommended as an effective clean-label strategy to extend the shelf life of meat products by enhancing microbial safety and quality without synthetic preservatives.